Hydraulic valve mechanism.



Patented Aug. 6, |90I.

E. vE. E. MEARS. HYDRAULIC VALVE MECHANISM.,

(Application mea nu. 21, 1901,)

(No Model.)

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ELMER E. E. MEARS, `OF MUNHALII, PENNSYLVANIA.

HYDRAULIC VALVE MECHANISIVI.

SPECIFICATION forming part 0f Letters Patent N0. 679,767, dated August6, 1901.

Application iiled March 21, 1901. Serial No. 52,178. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ELMER E. E. MEARS, a citizen of the United States,residing at Munhall, in the county of Allegheny and State ofPennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inHydraulic Valve Mechanisms; and I do declare the following to be a full,clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enableothers skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use thesame.

This invention relates to hydraulic valve mechanism for hydraulic cranesand other hydraulic machinery, and is designed as an improvement uponthe hydyaulic valve mechanism shown in Letters Patent No. 412,851, for ahydraulic crane, granted to J. Kennedy `and H. Aiken October 15, 1889.

The objects of the present invention are to' obviate certain objectionshereinafter specified incident to the use of the aforesaid patentedvalve mechanism, to render the valve mechanism more certain, safe, andeicient in operation and easier of manipulation, and to provide a valvemechanism which may be easily repaired and in which the number of valvesemployed may be readily varied at will.

With these and other objects in view, which will appear as the nature ofthe invention is better understood, the invention consists of certainnovel features of construction, com. bination, and arrangement of parts,as will be hereinafter more fully described, and particularly pointedout in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is an elevation, with parts insection, of hydraulic valve mechanism embodying my invention; and Figs.2 and 3 are respectively sections of the same on the lines 2 2 and 3 3of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a detail view showing the dovetail connectionbetween the casing-sections.

The novel features of my invention and the operation thereof will bereadily understood from the following description, taken in connectionwith the aforesaid patent, to which reference is to be had for a fulldisclosure of the operating partsand water supply and dischargeconnections in the application 0f the invention to a hydraulic crane,although it is to be understood that the valve mechanism may be used inconnection with hydraulic machinery of all kinds requiring the use ofvalve mechanism of this character.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, the numeral 1designates the valvecasing, and 2 the valves. Each valve 2 has a stem 3,which passes through a gland or stu ing-box 4 at the lower end of thevalve-case l. It works in a bushing tube or cylinder 5 and is providedwith two heads or-pistons 6, one at each end of the cylinder, each ofwhich heads is composed of a pair of flexible disks 7, bearing againstthe sides of the cylinder, and a pair of metallic disks 8, arrangedalternately with said flexible disks 7 and serving as'rigid supportstherefor. The outermost flexible disk of each piston-head is providedwith a reduced sleeve 9, of less diameter than the head, which lills thebushing 5, and the sleeve of the lower head abuts against a roundedshoulder 10 on the stem, while the sleeve of the upper head has bearingthereon a jamnut 11, threaded on said stem. By constructing thepiston-heads in this manner all liability of leakage is avoided, and aseach head completely fills the bushing and has no open space for thecollection and retention of water a perfect movement of the valve underall conditions of service is insured. The purpose of the reduced sleeves9 is to allow the valve to move to the full limit of its stroke in bothdirections without projecting the heads G unduly into the water-passage(hereinafter described) and interfering with the free discharge of thewaste water. As the sleeves 9 are of less diameter than the heads, thewaste water may circulate therearound without liability of retardation.The downward movement of the valve-stem is limited by the sleeve 9 onthe lower head abutting against the stuffing-box 4, which prevents thebody of said lower head from moving below the lower end of the bushing5. To limit the upward movement of the valve, the stem 3 has formed uponits upper end a reduced extension 12, which is adapted to abut against acap 13,l closing the upper end of the valve-chamber, and to thereby'prevent the body of the upper head 6 from moving beyond the upper end ofsaid bushing 5 and obstructing the flow of the water in the upperportion of the waste-passage. Each valve is designed to be operated byan independent operating-lever, (not shown,)

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in substantial accordance with the construction disclosed in the patentto Kennedy and Aiken, above referred to.

The bushing or cylinder 5 is encircled by three passages-one, 1i, aroundthe middle and one, 15, near each end. The passage 14 communicates withthe valve-cylinder 5 by openings or ports 16 and the annular passages 15with valve-cylinder by ports or passages 17. The ends of the cylinder 5open above and below into a passage 20. In my improved construction(shown in the drawings) four of these valves are inclosed in a case orshell 1, in which the passage 14, by which the Water is supplied to thevalves, communicates with each valve, so that a common supply-pipe 19serves allV the valves. The outside of the communicating passage 14 isshown in Fig. 1, and the manner of communication with the valve isclearly illustrated by the sectional views Figs. 2 and 3. Extendingnearly around the four sides of the casing 1 are the waste-Waterchannels 20, which are indicated partly by broken lines inFig. 1 andpartly by full lines at the left side of the ligure, Where thecasingshell is broken away. The passages 15, of which there are two foreach Valve, do not communicate with the like passages/in the othervalves, but are separate and distinct. They communicate with theopposite ends of the particular hydraulic cylinder Which is operated bythe valve they are connected with by means of the pipes 21 and 22. Theoperation of the valves is as follows: The operator moves the properlever (denoted 47 in the patent referred to) to actuate the valve in theproper direction-say, for instance, downward, as in Fig. 2-and then theWater from the supply-pipe 1S) passes from the passage 14 through theports 16 into the valve-cylinder 5 and thence by ports 17, passage 15,and pipe 22 to the end of the cylinder operated thereby, where it actson the piston in the desired direction. At the same vtime the downwardmovement of the valve opens communication between the pipe 21, whichleads from the other end of the hydraulic cylinder, by means of theupper passage 15 and ports 17 and the valve-cylinder 5 above the uppervalve-head 6, so that the Waste Water in front of the piston in thehydraulic cylinder can pass freely out into the Wastepassage 20.andthence to the waste-pipe 23, connected therewith. A reverse movement ofthe operating-lever will cause the water to flow in the oppositedirection in an obvious manner.

In the construction of valve mechanism shown in the aforesaid patent awaste-water passage extending around all four sides of the casing andcommon to all the valve-cylinders is employed and is at one point incommunication with a discharge-pipe through which the wastewaterdischarges therefrom. This construction is objectionable for the fol:lowing reasons: It frequently becomes necessary to operate two, three,and in some cases all fourof the valves simultaneously or in quicksuccession to actuate the various movable parts of the crane. Where twovalves are operated simultaneously, no trouble is encountered, as Wastewater may discharge with more or lessfreedom through the Waste passageand pipe; but when three or all four of the valves are operated thesimultaneous discharge of the Waste water from the corresponding numberof cylinders floods orgorges the Waste-passage with a quantity of Waterbeyond its capacity to discharge and frequently renders the apparatusuncontrollable, as the back pressure of the water on the valves movesthe valves back and reverses the operating-levers with force, ofttimessufficient to cause serious injury to the operator and apparatus. Inother cases Where two or more valves are operated in oppositedirectionsone up and the other down-the waste Water from one Willsometimes oppose a resistance to the movement of the Waste water fromthe other, thus necessitating frequent adjustment of the lever to getthe valves to do their Work. The operator in charge of the crane is whenthese difficulties are encountered forced to display great activity togain control of the levers, and before this is accomplished a largeamount of damage is ofte-n done. In order to obviate this objection, Iprovide a valve-casing in which two or more separate and independentWaste-water passages 20, each having a waste-pipe 23 in com? municationtherewith, are employed, one for each set of valves, which arepreferably arranged in pairs. Where an odd number of valves areemployed, there will be a dischargepassage for each set or pair of valves and one for the odd valve. As shown in Fig. 1, each passage 20extends around three sides of the casing 1 on opposite sides of thecenter of the latter and arenot in communication at their inner ends,one of said passages being in communication with the valve-cylinders onone side of the center of the casing 1, while the other passage is incommunication with the valve-cylinders on the opposite side of thecenter of the casing. Each passage is also in communication with aseparate Waste-pipe 23, one pipe being in communication with the upperportion of one Waste-passage and the other pipe in communication withthe lower portion ofthe other Waste-passage. By this construction aseparate outlet is afforded for the waste water from each pair ofvalves, and as the construction of the valve-heads 6 is such as to avoidany interference with the iioW of the Water a ready exhaust of the Wastewater is insured, thus enabling the valves to be operated with ease, soas t0 be under the ready control of the operator. By locating theWaste-pipes 23 as described, one above and the other below, the 110W ofWat-er in each Waste-passage is equalized, so as to prevent resistanceto the inow of water through the supply-pipe 19, as will be readilyunderstood. Thus it will be seen that my ICG IIO

construction provides a divisional valve-casing having valves arrangedin sets in such manner as to act in combination with a common source ofwater-supply and yet independently wi th separate exhaust connections,whereby a smooth and easy movement ofthe valves is insured and saidvalves rendered readily controllable.

In order to provide for ,the use of any desired number of valves and theready repair of the same Without shutting down the machinery, Ipreferably construct the casing l in two parts or sections 24 and 25,having their meeting faces fitting closely together and suitablyconnected, as by means of a dovetailed key or tongue 26 on one engaginga dovetailed groove27 in the other, as clearly shown in Fig. 3. Withthis construction one of the Waste-passages will be formed in onesection of the casing and the other Wastepassage in the other section ofthe casing, while a single Water-supply passage M Will be formed byintercommunicatiug ports in the meeting faces of said valve-casingsections. Each set of valves will thus have a separate Waste-passageanda supply-passage which is common to both, but may be divided byclosing up the ports in the meeting faces of the sections. Byinterposing one or more intermediate casing-sections between the saidsections 24: 25 the number of Valves employed may be increased at will,and in case of injury to either one of the valves the section containingthe same may be removed and a new corresponding section substitutedtherefor Without the necessity of removing the other section or stoppingthe operation of the machine for any great length of time. Theadvantages of this construction will be apparent.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with theaccompanying drawings, the construction and mode of operation of myimproved valve mechanism will be readily understood. Changes in theform, proportion, and minor details of construction may be made withinthe scope of the invention Without departing from the spirit orsacrificing any of the advantages thereof.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, anddesire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In hydraulic valve mechanism, a divided casing having independentWaste-passages on opposite sides thereof and extending around threelsides of each division of the casing, one or more independentvalve-chambers on each side of the casing and With which theWaste-passage on that side is in communication, a double-actingpiston-valve Within each Valve-chamber, a supply-passage formed in thecasing and common to all the valve-chambers, and exhaust-pipes for theWaste-passages, one communicating with the upper portion of onewaste-passage and the other with the lower portion of the otherWaste-passage, substantially as described.

2. In hydraulic valve mechanism, a casing composed of separablesections, one or more individual Valve-chambers formed in each section,a double-acting piston-valve Within each chamber, a waste-passage formedin each section and independent of each other, and a supply-passageformed in the casing and common to all the valve-chambers, substantiallyas described.

8. In hydraulic valve mechanism, a casing composed of separablesections, one section having a dovetailed groove to receive a dovetailedkey on the other section, one or more individual yaIVe-chambers formedin each section, a double-acting piston-valve within each chamber, awaste-passage formed in each section and independent of each other, anda supply-passage formed in the casing and common to all thevalve-chambers, substantially as described.

4. In hydraulic valve mechanism, a casing composed of separablesections, one section having a dovetailed groove toreceive a dovetailedkey on the other section, one or more individual valve-chambers formedin each section, a waste-passage formed in each section, thewaste-passage in one lsection being independent of the Waste-passage inthe other section, Waste-pipes communicating with opposite sides of theWaste-passages, and a supply-passage formed in the casing and common toall the valve-chambers, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of twosubscribing Witnesses.

ELMER E. E. MEARs.

Witnesses:

CLARENCE E. STEWART, LUCIEN S. DIETRICH.

